Steam iron



June 6, R, N ENVALL STEAM IRON Filed Dec. 2, 1941 INVENTOR .ROY N. ENVALL Patented uNlTlrDv srA'rEsgPAraNr orrlce l l I amigoa- BoyN. Ennll,DrexelHill.PaassimrtoWesi Manufacturing company, a corporation of Pennsyl- .'lClaims.

This invention relates to steam irons and particularly to that class of steamirons known as the dash-boiler type whichv include a steam lgenerator and avalve-controlled water supply and it has for an object to provide an improved steam iron of the character set forth.

In a steam iron of this class. steam generator, preferably located in the soleplate of the iron, at a rate which allows the water to be ilashed almost instantly into steam. I'he generated steam is distributed to the' material being ironed or steamed by means of ports or the like which communicate with the steam generator.

It is an object of the presentA invention to pro- Awaterisiedtoa.

the partition l to provide an air space orheat embedded therein as the present invention vide an improved steam iron construction in which the steam generator may be readilydis` assembled iorcleaning.

It is another object otthe invention to provide 'an improved steam iron construction which assures complete vaporization of the water supplied to the steam generator.

These and other objects are eil'ected by my invention as will be apparent from they following description and claims taken in connection with vthe accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which: Fie. 1 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of a steaml iron made in accordance with the present inventio "comprises a body l arrangement for the vthe line II-IIof Fig. 1 with certain for the sake of clarity;

Fig: 2 is a section taken substantially along partsomitted and,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view correspond-V ingto a portion of Figi and illustrating a slight- 1y modified form of theinvention.

Referring to the drawing-there -is illustrated 'an electrically heated steam iron, indicated generaliy by the reference character i. The iron 5 including a cover or shell 6 having a handle 1 any suitable manner. isprovided with partitions, together with the side and top walls of the cover deiine a water-storage chamber or reservoir i9. This reservoir is illled with water'through an opening in the top ofthe cover l, which opening is normally closed by a removable plug Ii. This plug may, if d be vented although it is to beunderstood that any other suitable venting reservoir il may be p ro-l vided.

A metallic soleplate or base i2 vis detachably secured in any suitable'manner to the bottom of the cover 8 and preferably in spaced relation to lation in the upper and secured to the top thereof in 'X The interior of; the cover such as l and! which maintain This soleplate may be of conventional outline, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and providedwith a U- shaped heating element I5 secured thereto or illustrated particularly in Fig. 1. 'This heating element may be of wellknown construction and comprise-an outer metallic tube I8 having a coiled resistance element i1 supported in spaced concentric relation thereto by'means oi suitable heat-conducting, electrical- 4v sign and is adjusted by means of a rotatable rod 22 extending through a sleeve 23 which is brazed,

soldered, or otherwise secured in fluid-tight relower walls of the reservoir IB. As shown in the drawing, the rod 22 may be inclined to the vertical so that its upper en d projects into the handle 1. f A knob or handle 26, provided with a suitable scale to indicate the set temperature of the soleplate I2, is xed to the upper end of the rod 22 for turning the same to adjust .the thermostat to the soleplate at-the temperature indicated by the scale. The mentioned knob 2l projects through a window 25 formed in the handle and its scale is adapted to be read in conjunction with a suitable index (not shown) which may be 'provided on the handle adjacent the window 2l.

The soleplate l2 is provided with a' recess 26 which is located the heating element This recess opens on the ironing surface 2B of 'the soleplate i2, and receives a metallic plug 29 which may beremov- .ably secured in the soleplate as by having threadsurface thereof engaging the fiat-horizontal wall ed engagement tioned recess 2i. c.

Inthe form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the plug illls most 'of the recess 26, the upper or inner face of th recess. However, the upper lsurface of the plug is provided with a pair of spiral grooves I. and 3i. which extend from the in the drawing since other y hollow front9 support of the within he loop or bight 21 of with thesidevwalls of the men'A center of the plug outwardly to an annular groove f placed thereupon as are specifically set forthin 32. While two spiral grooves have been shown in the drawing, it-is to be understood that a single spiral groove or, if desired, more than two 'spiral grooves may be provided. As will appear later, water is deposited at the center 33 of the spiral grooves and travels along the spiral grooves t the annular groove 32. The water is converted into steam by the time it reaches the annular groove 32. This steam passes through'v ports 34', provided in the plug 29, to the ironing surface of the soleplate and into -thematerial being steamed or ironed. By providing one or more spiralor circuitous grooves in the plug and closing the top of these grooves by means of the heated soleplate itself, conduction of suiicient heat from the heating element it to the water in these grooves is assured so that the possibility of water being emitted from the prevented.

1n the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the top face of the plug 29a is made iiat and spiral grooves 30a and iia'are formed in the inner face of the soleplate recess as shown in this gure. In this form of the invention, better conduction of heat from'the heating element i5 to thewater in the grooves is obtained in that the greater portion of the surface of the spiral passages formed by the grooves in the soleplate and the upper surface of the plug is in the soleplate itself which carries the heating element.'

The water from theV reservoir may be conducted to the steam generating passages in any suitable manner. As shown in the drawing, the soleplate may be provided with a verticalv passage @t substantisllyaligned with the inner ends 33 of the spiral grooves. The upper end of this passage is enlarged and provided with threads for receiving the lower threaded end of a bushing 3l. The upper end of this bushing is provided with a reduced portion which is received in an Vopening provided in the partition 8 of the reservoir i6. f desired a sealing' washer 38 may be provided on the bushing to prevent leakage of water aroundl the bushing. As will be apparent from an inspection' of the drawing, the opening through the bushing 8l is in alignment with and steam ports is substantiallyv plate, means for conveying water from said reservoir to one end of said passage, and steam-discharging means communicating with the other end of said passage for conducting steam generated within said passage to the material to be pressed, said tortuous ge comprising a groove formed in said adjacent surface of said soleplate, the open side of said groove being closed by said upper surface of the plug.

2. A steam iron comprising a soleplate having a recess therein opening on the ironing surface thereof, a plug removably secured in said recess and fsubstantiallyV lling the same, the upper surface' of said plug engaging the surface of said soleplate dening the inner face of said recess, and a. tortuous passage formed between said engaging surfaces, means for supplying water to onel end of said passage, and steam-discharging means communicating with the other end of said passage for conducting steam generated within said passageto the material to be pressed, said passage comprising a spiral groove formed in said surface of said soleplate which denes the inner face of said recess.

3. A steam iron comprising a soleplate having an ironing surface, said soleplate having a recess therein opening on s'aid ironing surface, a

f removable plug in said recess substantially filling 'the same, means for heating said soleplate and plug, the upper face of said plug engaging:l the surface defining the inner face oi' said recess, one of said faces having a recess therein located substantially centrally of said plug, a passage formed communicates, with the mentioned vertical pas-, i

sage in the ysoleplate and opens into the reservoir so that the water therein may now to the steam generator. I

The rate of ow of water to the steam generator may conveniently -be regulated by means of a valve stem 39 adapted to seat in the upper end of the bushing 3l for closing the-water passage, and adjusted relative to' this seat for regulating theilow of water to, the steam generator.

As shown particularly in Fig. 1 this valve stem extends through a guide or bushing isecured in fluid-tight manner to the upper wall of the cover l and at its upper end is provided with an adjusting knob l2 located exteriorlyoi' the handle. 'I'he upper end of the valve stem may be threaded for cooperative engagement with an internally-threaded insert 43 provided in the handle whereby the valve stem may be raised or lowered relative to the valve seat by turning the handle in one direction or another. r

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that itis not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes andamodiications without v ports extending between the upper face of said plug and said inner face, said passage opening into said central recess and extending outwardly therefrom spirally about said central recess, means for supplying water to said central recess 'including apassage opening through said inner face in4 alignment with said central recess, and means communieating with the outer end oi said spiral passage dcr conducting steam generated in said central recess and spiral passage to the material to be pressed.4

li. A steam iron comprising a soleplate having an ironing surface, said soleplate having a recess therein opening on said ironing surface, a removable plug in said recess substantially filling the same, means for heating said plug, the upper face of said plug engaging the surface dening the inner face of said recess, one of said faces having a recess therein located substantially centrally of said plug, a plurality of passages formed between the upper face of said plugand said inner face, said passages opening into said central recess and extending outwardly therefrom spirally about said central recess, a cir'ular passage formed between said upper face-and said inner face into which theouter ends of said spiral passages open,

means for supplying water to said central recess including a passage opening through said inner face in alignmexlilzgvith said central recess, and ugh said plug from the lower face said f c e for conducting steam generated in'said central recess and spiral passages to the material to be pressed.

5. A steam iron comprising a soleplate having an ironing surface, said soleplate having a recess therein opening on said ironing surface, a re movable plug in said recess substantially `illling the same, means for heating said soleplate and plug, the upper face of' said plug engaging the surface defining the inner face of said recess. the upper face of said plug having a central recess therein and a plurality of grooves emanating from said central recess and extending splrally therearound, the open sides of said grooves being closed by said inner face, means for supplying water to said central recess including aA passage opening through said' upper face in alignment with said central recess, and ports extending through said plug from the outer face to the inner faceand communicating with the outer ends of said spiral grooves for discharging steam generated within -said central recess and grooves to the material to be pressed.

, municating with the outer ends of said spiral 6. A steam iron comprising a soleplate having I an ironing surface, said soleplate having a recess l therein opening on said ironing surface, a removable plug in said recess substantially filling the same, means for heating said soleplate and plug, the upper face of said plug engaging the surface dening the inner face of said recess, said inner face having a central recess therein and a plurality of grooves emanating from said central recess and extending spirally therearound, the open sides oi' said grooves being closed by said upper face, means for supplying water to said central recess, and ports extending through said plug from the outer face to the inner face and comgrooves for discharging steam generated within said centralrecess and grooves to the material to be pressed.

7. A steam iron comprising a soleplate having i an ironing surface and a recess therein opening on said ironing surface, a removable plug in said recess substantially filling the same, means for heating said soleplate and plug, a substantially central portion of the upper face of said plug being spaced from the opposed portion of the'surface defining the inner face of said recess to Drovide a central recess, means for supplying water to said central recess including a passage'opening through said inner face in alignment with said central recess, a second passage formed between the upperl face of said plug and said innerface of said recess, said second passage opening into said central recess and extending outwardly therefrom spirally about said central recess, and means communicating with the outer end of said second passage for conducting steam generated in said central recess and second passage to the material to be pressed. i

p ROY N. ENVALL 

